The UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a Pakistan-led resolution aimed at improving global access to affordable assistive technology, particularly in developing countries. The resolution, titled Access to Assistive Technology, is the first ever General Assembly resolution specifically devoted to the issue, marking a significant milestone in international efforts to address technology related barriers facing people with disabilities.
Introducing the resolution, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said around 2.5 billion people worldwide needed one or more assistive products, devices or related services, but millions continued to face barriers to accessing them. He said these barriers included high costs, limited availability, inadequate infrastructure and services, restricted access to technology and shortages of trained personnel.
Assistive technology includes a wide range of products and services, from wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs and hearing aids to screen readers, communication devices and other digital solutions, helping children attend school, enabling adults to work, allowing older people to maintain independence and facilitating fuller participation of persons with disabilities in society. Ambassador Ahmad described assistive technology as the bridge between dependence and independence, between exclusion and participation, and between potential and opportunity. The resolution links access to assistive technology with wider development and inclusion objectives, including education, employment, healthcare, social protection and participation in society, while placing particular emphasis on developing countries and calling for greater international cooperation, financing and technical assistance.
The resolution was drafted and negotiated by Counsellor Saima Saleem, Pakistan’s first visually impaired career diplomat and a user of assistive technology herself, whose involvement brought a direct personal perspective to the initiative. Pakistan has previously played a leading role in advancing the issue internationally, having initiated World Health Assembly Resolution 71.8 on improving access to assistive technology in 2018, which was also adopted by consensus, continuing a track record of Pakistani leadership on assistive technology policy at both the regional and global level.
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